Closure



Nov. 9, 1965 J. M. WHEATON CLOSURE Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTOR.

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FIG. 2

FIG. 1

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,216,601 CLOSURE Jack M. Wheaten, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,358 2 Claims. (Cl. 21540) This invention relates generally to closures for hermetically sealing tumblers, jars, bottles, and similar containers. More particularly, this invention relates to a closure which is held on its associated container by the engagement of a corner of the closure gasket with an annular bead on the container.

Difficulties are frequently encountered in maintaining an adequate seal between closures and beaded containers. The problems arise primarily because of the large tolerances required in'manufacturing glass or similar articles to which the closures are applied. Thus, in order to effectively seal such containers, a closure must compensate for irregularities in the bead encountered in the manufacture of the containers.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a closure capable of effectively sealing containers having irregularities within the limit of commercial tolerances.

It is another object of this invention to provide a closure which effects sealing engagement with its associated container by means of a corner portion of the closure gasket engaging a bead on the container.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a closure of the snap-on type which is adapted to be easily removed from its associated container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a snap type closure which may be removed from its container without being deformed and, thus, which is adapted to obtain an effective sealing engagement with said container upon reapplication thereto.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheet of drawings on which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the closure of the present invention and its associated container prior to its engagement thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the closure in sealing engagement with the container.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a container generally designated having an annular wall 12 terminating at its upper end in an annular rim 14 defining the periphery of an open mouth. An outwardly facing enlarged annular bead 16 encircles the wall 12 in the vicinity of the rim 14.

The container 10 is adapted to be closed by a closure generally designated 20 having a top panel 22. A first annular wall portion 24 depends downwardly and outwardly from the outer periphery of said top panel portion 22. The first annular wall portion ends in a lower terminus 25 which is of greater radial extent than the outermost portion of the bead 16. Additionally, there is provided a second annular wall portion 26 which also extends downwardly and outwardly and which terminates at its lower end in an inwardly curled rim 27. The second annular wall portion 26 has an upper terminus 28 which is located radially outwardly from the lower terminus 25 of the first annular wall portion 24. Preferably, the upper terminus 28 is somewhat higher axially than the lower terminus 25. The lower terminus 25 and the upper terminus 28 are joined by an annular ledge 29.

Positioned in the closure 20 is an annular gasket generally designated 30. The gasket 30 has generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration which includes ice an outer side 31 positioned adjacent the second annular wall 26. Opposite the outer side 31 is an inner side 32. Additionally, there is an upper side 33 the outer portion of which is adjacent the ledge 29 and which extends inwardly to the inner side 32 to form a corner 35. The corner 35 is of a lesser radial extent than the head 16 when the gasket 30 is in an undeformed condition. Opposite the upper side 33 is a lower side 34 which is adjacent to the inwardly curled rim 27.

The gasket 30 is rigidly secured in the closure either by adhesive means or by mechanical retention resulting from the inward crimping of the rim 27 holding the gasket against the ledge 29.

As may be readily seen by viewing FIGURE 2, application of the closure 20 to the container 10 results in the sealing corner 35 of the gasket being resiliently deformed over the annular bead 16 of the container. The sealing engagement is effected by the corner 35 being compressed against the head 16 to achieve sealing contact therewith in an area below its outermost portion.

It can be readily appreciated that a gasket may be deformed more readily and to a larger degree by the application of pressure against a single corner, as in the case of the resiliently deformable sealing corner 35, than is possible in the case of a gasket which is compressed between two substantially parallel walls to effect a side seal, as is the case of numerous prior art closures. An example of a side seal closure may be had by reference to United States Patent No. 2,982,433. As a result of this greater deformability, the extent to which the sealing corner 35 of the gasket of the present invention may extend inwardly from the outermost point of the bead 16 is much greater than the extent to which gaskets of prior art closures could extend, thus providing a closure capable of compensating for irregularities resulting from the manufacture of the containers.

While the gasket 30 has been described as having a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, it should be understood that a wide variety of cross-sectional configurations may be utilized. The critical features which the closure must possess are (1) that the gasket have a corner at its upper and inner portion which is of smaller radial extent than said lower terminus 25 and is of smaller radial extent than said head 16, (2) that the inner side 32 of said gasket flare outwardly in a downwardly direction with the lower portion thereof preferably being of greater radial extent than the bead 16, (3) that the outer portion of the side 33 defining one element of said corner be adjacent said annular ledge 29, and (4) that the portion of the gasket radially opposite the corner 35 be adjacent the second annular wall 26. Such features permit the closure to be snapped over the radially enlarged head 16 and provide the gasket with bearing surfaces which hold the outer and upper portion firmly in place upon the resilient deformation resulting from such snapping.

Additional features which add to the effectiveness of this closure are (1) that the ledge 29 taper upwardly and outwardly so that the side 33 of the gasket 30 tapers downwardly and inwardly to the corner 35 and (2) that the second annular wall portion 26 taper outwardly and downwardly so that where the gasket 30 has a rectangular cross-sectional configuration the feature of the lower portion of side 32 being of greater radial extent than the head 16 will be met. It should be recognized, however, that it is within contemplation of the present invention that the side 32 may be tapered relative to the side 31 to achieve this feature.

It can be readily seen that the present invention provides a new, novel, and extremely effective closure for use in sealing containers having an outwardly extending annular bead and is especially useful in sealing containers requiring large manufacturing tolerances.

It is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope which is to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination: a container having a wall terminating in an annular rim defining the periphery of an open mouth, an outwardly extending annular bead encircling said wall in the vicinity of said rim; and a closure aflixed to said container comprising a top panel portion, a downwardly extending first annular wall portion the lower terminus of which is of greater radial extent than the outermost portion of said head, a downwardly and outwardly extending second annular wall portion terminating in a lower end substantially below said bead, the upper terminus of said second annular wall portion being of greater radial extent than said first annular wall portion lower terminus, a ledge joining said lower terminus and said upper terminus, an annular gasket of resiliently deformable material securely retained in said closure, said gasket in cross section having a plurality of sides including an outer side adjacent said second annular wall portion and an inner side opposite therefrom, said inner side flaring outwardly in a downwardly direction, the lower portion thereof being of greater radial extent than said bead, an upper side juxtaposed against said ledge and extending inwardly therefrom, said inner side and said upper side meeting at a corner which, in undeformed condition, is of lesser radial extent than the outermost portion of said bead, said corner upon affixing of the closure to the container being resiliently deformed over said head outermost portion to sealingly engage said bead below its outermost portion, said lower portion of said gasket being substantially undeformed by the sealing engagement of said closure to said container.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said ledge flares outwardly and upwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,134,067 3/15 Hull 215- 1,998,870 4/35 Hammer 215-40 2,079,813 5/37 Podel 215-40 2,670,868 3/54 Stover 2l5--40 3,005,563 10/61 Stover 21540 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION: A CONTAINER HAVING A WALL TERMINATING IN AN ANNULAR RIM DEFINING THE PERIPHERY OF AN OPEN MOUTH, AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR BEAD ENCIRCLING SAID WALL IN THE VICINITY OF SAID RIM; AND A CLOSURE AFFIXED TO SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A TOP PANEL PORTION, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FIRST ANNULAR WALL PORTION THE LOWER TERMINUS OF WHICH IS OF GREATER RADIAL EXTENT THAN THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID BEAD, A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SECOND ANNULAR WALL PORTION TERMINATING IN A LOWER END SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID BEAD, THE UPPER TERMINUS OF SAID SECOND ANNULAR WALL PORTION BEING OF GREATER RADIAL EXTENT THAN SAID FIRST ANNULAR WALL PORTION LOWER TERMINUS, A LEDGE JOINING SAID LOWER TERMINUS AND SAID UPPER TERMINUS, AN ANNULAR GASKET OF RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL SECURELY RETAINED IN SAID CLOSURE, SAID GASKET IN CROSS SECTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF SIDES INCLUDING AN OUTER SIDE ADJACENT SAID SECOND ANNULAR WALL PORTION AND AN INNER SIDE OPPOSITE THEREFROM, SAID INNER SIDE FLARING OUTWARDLY IN A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTION, THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF BEING OF GREATER RADIAL EXTENT THAN SAID BEAD, AN UPPER SIDE JUXTAPOSED AGAINST SAID LEDGE AND EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID INNER SIDE AND SAID UPPER SIDE MEETING AT A CORNER WHICH, IN UNDEFORMED CONDITION, IS OF LESSER RADIAL EXTENT THAN THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID BEAD, SAID CORNER UPON AFFIXING OF THE CLOSURE TO THE CONTAINER BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMED OVER SAID BEAD OUTERMOST PORTION TO SEALINGLY ENGAGE SAID BEAD BELOW ITS OUTERMOST PORTION, SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID GASKET BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNDEFORMED BY THE SEALING ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE TO SAID CONTAINER. 